


In Her Footsteps

by Peachychan



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Alternate Universe, Backstory, Bad Parenting, Gen, His dad is Not Good (tm), but let me know if I should tag this as anything else
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-26 01:06:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14989406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peachychan/pseuds/Peachychan
Summary: A small piece about Judai's backstory for a GX AU. Touches upon his family life and the events leading to him going to Duel Academia. Contains one (1) OC father.





	In Her Footsteps

Judai clutched the large envelope in his hands with nervous excitement as he quickly walked down the sidewalk back home. He could still barely believe he had the packet at all; silently, he thanked his teacher for having listened to his wishes and acquired it for him. Glancing down, his eyes sparkled as he looked at the emblem printed on the front, comprising of a large, stylized “DA” - Duel Academia.

His mind was already made up. The exams were only a few weeks away, but Judai was sure he’d manage. The only thing twisting a knot in his insides at the moment, however, was bringing it up to his dad…

“Kuri…?”

Judai looked over to see Winged Kuriboh hovering beside him, concern in his large eyes. He gave him a small, reassuring grin.

“Don’t worry, Aibou! I’m fine!” He could tell his best friend was hardly convinced. When they were so closely connected, it was almost impossible to hide how he was really feeling. Giving a small nuzzle, Winged Kuriboh perched himself lightly on Judai’s shoulder. He wouldn’t lie; it was comforting.

Adjusting his other hand’s grip on the bag of bento he bought for tonight’s dinner, Judai continued down the street until he came to a decently-sized apartment building. He shuffled up the steps, fumbling with his keys slightly, before unlocking one of the doors and entering.

The living room was quiet, with the light of the setting sun starting to filter in through the parted curtains. Judai carefully placed the contents of his bag in the fridge, before unceremoniously plopping himself onto the couch. Eagerly yet carefully, he opened the envelope, and poured over the papers inside. It would be a little while longer until his dad came home. He wanted to be ready.

======

“So…you spoke with the school counselor today about high school options, right…?”

The question from Keisuke abruptly cut through the usual silence at the dining table. Judai knew he would bring the subject up, but the suspense had been eating away at his stomach for a while now.

“…Yeah.” He hoped his dad didn’t catch any of the nerves he tried to stamp out of his response.

Keisuke continued to skim the newspaper he held in one hand for a moment, before finally placing it down on the table and turning his gaze towards Judai with a vague smile.

“I know it seems daunting, but the high school I went to weighs heavily in your exam’s favor. As long as you do well there, they won’t mind so much about your grades.” He’d lost count of how many times his dad tried to reassure him this way. Judai was sure that in his mind, the future was obvious. He’d attend the same high school, then the same university as himself, before ending up at the same company. It was so clear cut for him, Judai wasn’t sure if he’d even considered any other possibility.

“I’m sure your teacher can recommend a good cram school to attend.” Keisuke continued, though he had already returned to his newspaper. “It’ll be stressful for a few months, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“…Actually, Dad…?” Judai said hesitantly. He gripped his hand under the table tightly, willing his voice to stay even. “…There’s another high school I wanna try the exam for.”

There was a small pause, though it felt like a suffocating eon. His father then turned a raised eyebrow at him.

“Another high school…?” He couldn’t read the expression, but Judai was sure he was already skeptical.

“Y-Yeah…!” He tried to push as much assertiveness into his tone as he could muster. “It’s a private school, but if I do well on the exams, I can get a scholarship, so it won’t be expensive…!”

“…What’s the name of this place?”

Mentally, Judai took a deep breath before responding. “Duel Academia-”

“Absolutely not.” The sudden hard-edged response felt like a bucket of ice water in Judai’s face. Keisuke’s expression had changed to a look of quiet disapproval that was all too familiar at this point. “Judai, I thought we had already discussed this matter.”

“I-If you’re worried about me passing, the exams won’t overlap…!” Even if he knew that wasn’t the reason for his dad’s objection, Judai felt compelled to continue, in the vague hope that the argument he had rehearsed in his mind would move him in some way. “I can still take the other exam if I don’t-”

“You’re **not** going to any school associated with that game…!” There was a note of finality within Keisuke’s slightly raised voice. “You won’t make a future for yourself at such a place!”

Judai could feel his ears heat up, his desperation instantly changing to a frustrated defiance. He dug his nails into his leg, in a vain attempt to keep himself calm.

“…Mom wouldn’t say that…” The words spilled out before he could stop himself. He was never good at hiding his emotions either way. But despite the minefield Judai knew he just stepped in, he couldn’t back down. Not on this.

“Judai…!!” Anger rumbled underneath his father’s voice, as he leveled Judai with a steely glare. Stopping an involuntary flinch, he gritted his teeth, finally looking up to meet it with a glare of his own.

“You could at least give me the chance! You don’t even try to ask me what _I_ wanna do with my own life!!” He continued. “I know I can be a great Duelist like Mom!!“

With some force, Keisuke tossed the paper in his hand onto the table.

"And what did that do for her? Nothing!!” Judai could hear the bitter edge seep into his father’s every word. “I won’t have you falling into the same trap as Sayori did! You’re not taking that exam, and I won’t hear otherwise…!”

Judai looked away, desperately trying to stop his own anger from breaking out. He couldn’t say he didn’t expect this. He had hoped that for once, however, his dad would stop and actually listen to him. Instead of acting like his mom was gone forever. Instead of blaming everything that made her, that made Judai who they were, for why she wasn’t here now.

“…I can take any exam I want.” The shake of emotion in his tone was clear even to himself. “And if I pass, I’m gonna go. I’ve got a right to make my own decisions…!”

A prickling tension hung in the air in the ensuing short silence.

“…Then,” Keisuke started with a quiet fury, “then since it seems you believe you’re old enough to be responsible for yourself, I assume you won’t be needing any of my help paying for the tuition if you decide to go to that school.”

Judai snapped his head back to stare at his father, speechless. While Duel Academia wasn’t the worst by far compared to some other private schools, it was still a prestigious academy founded by Seto Kaiba, and the tuition reflected that accordingly. Unless he did exceptionally well during the entrance exam and won their best scholarship, there was no possible way he could afford it.

“T-That’s not…” Judai stammered weakly. He felt as if the floor was giving out from under him.

“Fair?” The bitter bite had returned more forcefully in Keisuke’s tone. “How is it fair then, that I would have to sink money into something that would merely put you in a dead-end?! As long as you’re living in this house and under my care, Judai, I expect you to listen to me and the rules that I’ve set!”

Picking up the slightly crumpled newspaper, Keisuke leveled him with one last pointed look. “This is the end of this discussion. You had better make sure you have plans for a cram school soon.”

Despite himself, Judai could feel a stinging sensation well up in the corner of his eyes. With a light clatter, he abruptly stood from his chair.

“…I’m done…” he barely managed to mumble out, before hastily leaving the table, and his unfinished dinner, behind. He couldn’t care less about his dad calling out to his retreating back. Face burning up, Judai simply wanted to be out of the room before he lost his composure completely.

The hot tears had already started rolling down his cheeks by the time he collapsed onto his bed. Trying to muffle a sob, he buried himself into his pillow, but it did little good to stem the flow. His father’s ultimatum felt like a crushing weight on his heart.

How had things gotten to this point…? Judai remembered a time when his Dad supported his Mom entering tournaments, even took him to see them occasionally. He couldn’t understand - why was it so wrong now for him to look up to her as a Duelist, to want to follow in her footsteps? It was as if his Dad had left her for dead, and wanted to forget anything to do with her completely. The thought made his blood boil.

Slowly, his sobs quieted, until a heavy silence fell in his dark room. Judai rolled onto his back, in order to stare blankly up at the ceiling.

“Kuri kuri…” A sad voice drifted down from the darkness, before he felt soft fur nestle into the side of his face. Wrapping his arms gently around Winged Kuriboh, Judai pulled his friend as close as he could to himself.

“…I can’t give up, Aibou…” He finally whispered, voice still heavy with emotion. “I’ll become a great Duelist…and find Mom out there somewhere…!”

A long silence passed, before Judai finally sat up, and turned on his desk lamp. Once more, he looked over the papers he had acquired earlier that day with an even greater focus.

He wouldn’t let go of this chance. If there was any possible way for him to enter Duel Academia, he was going to take it, no matter what his dad said…!

**Author's Note:**

> Just a few notes:  
> Judai already has had Winged Kuriboh as a spirit friend since he was smol  
> In Japan, there are high school entry exams, usually within the same day, and as such most students cram and study to get into one high school of their choice. It’s difficult to try and apply for multiple high schools, but high school isn’t actually mandatory.


End file.
